May is Stroke Awareness Month

A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is suddenly interrupted. Then brain tissue is damaged. Most strokes happen because a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain or neck. A stroke can cause movement problems, pain, numbness and problems with thinking, remembering or speaking. Some people also have emotional problems, such as depression, after a stroke.

If you have diabetes, your chances of having a stroke are 1.5 times higher than in people who don’t have diabetes. But your risk is even greater if:

you’re over age 55

your family background is African American

you’ve already had a stroke or a transient ischemic (ih-SKEE-mik) attack (also called a TIA or a mini-stroke)

you have a family history of stroke or TIAs

you have heart disease

you have high blood pressure

you’re overweight

you have high LDL (bad) cholesterol and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels

you are not physically active

you smoke

You can’t change some of these risk factors. But you can lower your chances of having a stroke by taking care of your diabetes and tackling some of the other risk factors, such as losing weight if you’re overweight.

Typical warning signs of a stroke develop suddenly and can include:

weakness or numbness on one side of the body

sudden confusion or trouble understanding

trouble talking

dizziness, loss of balance, or trouble walking

trouble seeing out of one or both eyes

double vision

severe headache

If you have warning signs of a stroke, call 9-1-1 right away. Getting treatment as soon as possible after a stroke can help prevent permanent damage to your brain.

May is also National Mediterranean Diet Month (which happens to be a heart healthy diet with tons of flavor). A Mediterranean-style diet typically includes:

plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and other grains, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds;

olive oil as a primary fat source; and

dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry in low to moderate amounts.

Fish and poultry are more common than red meat in this diet. It also centers on minimally processed, plant-based foods. Fruit is a common dessert instead of sweets.

Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

Servings 2 salads

Ingredients

6cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 8-ounce Chicken Breast sliced or chopped

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans drained

1cup cherry tomatoes sliced

1cup sliced cucumber

1/2avocado chopped

1/4cup sliced kalamata olives

1/4cup sliced red onion

2pita bread pockets

Canola oil spray

Paprika

1/4cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4cup red wine vinegar

1clove garlic peeled and minced

2teaspoons oregano

1teaspoon sugar

1/2teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Store bought or Homemade Tzatziki sauce for drizzling

Instructions

Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl and top with the sliced chicken, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, olives and red onion.

Cut the pita breads into triangles and spray with canola oil. Sprinkle with paprika and toast until golden. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

To make the dressing add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt and pepper to a small canning jar. Top with the lid and shake well until blended and emulsified. Season with more sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to taste. Drizzle with the tzatziki as desired.

Homemade Tzatziki sauce

Ingredients

½cucumber , halved with skin and seeds removed

3/4cupGreek Plain Nonfat Yogurt

2cloves garlic , pressed or minced

1tablespoon red wine vinegar

1tablespoon fresh dill , minced

Pinchof kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the tzatziki sauce by grating the cucumber. Gather the cucumber together and place in a paper towel and press the water out of the shredded cucumber and place in a medium size bowl.

The Diabetes Empowerment Education Program [DEEP] is offered every Wednesday for six weeks. Good attendance is important. This free program is for diabetics, pre-diabetics, and spouses or caregivers of a diabetic. Residents of Erie County, aged 60 or older, please call 419-624-1856 to register.

Diabetes Support Group – Firelands Regional Medical Center

The Diabetes Support Group presented by Jean Feick CNP,CDE, meets the third Wednesday of each month Sept–November and January-May from 12:00pm –1:00pm. This meeting is free to the public and no registration is required. Attendees are welcome to purchase lunch in the hospital cafeteria and come to the adjacent Cafeteria Meeting #1. A different topic will be reviewed each month. If you have questions, please contact the Diabetes Education Department at 419-557-6992.

Hemoglobin A1C (A three month report card on how well your blood sugars have been running. A test used to diagnose diabetes and/or to evaluate how well your treatment plan is working.) – $25;

PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)- $30;

Vitamin D – $35;

TSH – $25

Diet and exercise are an essential part of diabetes management, but so is routine testing.

The A1C test—also known as the hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c test—is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. It’s one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, and is also the main test to help you and your health care team manage your diabetes. Higher A1C levels are linked to diabetes complications, so reaching and maintaining your individual A1C goal is really important if you have diabetes.

Last quarter, 68% of our diabetic patients had an A1C of less than 9%. Talk with your provider to discuss the right options for you.